Tanzania is the largest East African country, situated along the coast of the Indian Ocean. The country has a vast expanse covering a huge area. Three of the “Great Lakes of Africa”, the Victoria Lake, Tanganyika Lake and the Nysya Lake are present in Tanzania. To the western part of the country lies the vast wilderness of the Serengeti plains. The northern portion of Tanzania is quite mountainous and consists of the two highest peaks of Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru.
The eastern part of Tanzania is made up of hot and humid coastline. The island of Zanzibar also belongs to the coastal region of Tanzania. Through the central region of Tanzania runs the great rift valley of North East Africa. This varied landscapes and climatic conditions of the country have led to the growth and development of a huge range of flora and fauna. Flora and Fauna in Tanzania can be divided according to the regions they belong to.
The regions of Tanzania having various species of Flora and Fauna can be categorized as:
The Northern Region
The western and central Region
The Southern Region
The Coastal Region
The most commonly found flora and fauna of these regions are:
The Northern Region – in the mountainous region of the north, closed forest trees, low-level hardwoods and mountain softwoods are found in abundance. These kinds of trees are also found in the area around the Lake Victoria. The northern region also have scattered wooded grasslands. The animals found here include lions, wildebeests, zebras, eland, bushbuck, leopards, elephants, giraffes, hyenas, cheetah, jackals, buffalos, grants gazelles, Thompsons gazelle and the black rhino.
The western and central Region – This region mainly contains bushlands and thickets. Grasslands and heaths are also common in this region. The animals commonly found here are Lions, Leopards, Rhinoceros and Buffaloes, Wildebeests and several varieties of primates and birds.
The Southern Region – The wild life safaris of Tanzania is centered on the vast wilderness of south Tanzania. The animals present here include Roan Antelope, Sable Antelope, Cape Hunting Dogs and many colorful species of birds.
The Coastal Region – the coastal regions have mangrove forests. The fauna in the coastal region and the islands of Zanzibar and Pemba include reptiles, amphibians fruit-eating and insectivorous bats, genets, mongooses, small shrews, rats, and mice. Zanzibar has animals like leopard, Syke's monkey, civet, and giant rat.
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